Winter Cup: Kris Lees hoping Attention Run can rediscover her best form

If punters see Attention Run at her best at Rosehill she’s more than good enough to take out the Listed Winter Cup (2400m).

Trainer Kris Lees acknowledges she’s at a bit of a crossroads in her career at start 27 as she searches for her fifth win.

She comes to Rosehill off a seventh placing in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) behind VRC Derby winner Warning and So You Win.

She was only 3½ lengths behind the winner that day but her best performance before that was a two-length third behind her star stablemate Mugatoo in the Newcastle Cup last September.

“We’ve got to question where she’s at,” Lees said.

“She got a long way back the other day in a fast-run race and got too far out of her ground so we’ll try and put her in a more forward position.

“She’s placed in the past two Newcastle Cups so on her day she’s quite capable and she likes it wet so the track will suit her.”

She’s rated a $19 hope behind Parry Sound ($3.50), who has been consistent of late but hasn’t won in his past nine starts.

“It’s probably her easiest race in a while so it’s the right race for her,” Lees said.

“Raheen House will only run if it is wet. He’s going really well at home and I can’t fault him but as he’s got older he only reacts when the track suits.”

Snowzone looks well placed in his Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) earlier on the card after running fourth behind Dream Circle and Hulk first-up at Rosehill three weeks ago.

He’s an $8.50 hope with Louise Day on board and should get the charm run behind the leaders in transit out of barrier four.

“It was a nice return run and the wetter the better for him,” Lees said.

“Importantly, at Rosehill, he’s got a soft draw so he’s going to get a nice enough run and he’s going to appreciate the claim.”

Kris Lees says Attention Run is well-placed in the Winter Cup. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

The Sniztel four-year-old is thriving off a Brisbane summer campaign where he ran 10th in the Magic Millions Cup but was only 3½ lengths off Eleven Eleven.

“He definitely improved up there. He’s a Doomben horse who doesn’t handle Eagle Farm and he loves give in the ground,” Lees said.

“He will improve again off the run and he’s not far away.”

Always On Show takes on Too Much Caviar again in the third race and she has a 2.5kg weight pull on that horse off their last run.

Always On Show ran third behind second-placed Too Much Caviar but took five lengths off him from the top of the Kensington straight to the post.

“She gets in nicely with the claim and she’s a staying-bred filly that we always thought would get over ground in time,” Lees said.

“It was a nice run at her first attempt at city level and it looks like she’ll run the trip and she handles the ground so I expect her to run well.”

The filly, by UK sire Showcasing, has only won once from 11 runs and it was at Taree, but that won’t turn punters off.

“Last year we ran her in a stakes races in Queensland around this time last year so she’s always given us a good enough opinion of her to suggest she’ll get to a better grade in time,” Lees said.

“She’s just been a slow maturing horse but at the same time had shown us a bit. She’s been a filly that had been a touch aggressive but she’s relaxing better now.”

Meanwhile, Lees told of his most exciting prospect at Eagle Farm.

“I’ve got to say Zaniah (race 5) is going terrific but she’s questionable at 1200m. If she is ever going to run 1200m it will be on Saturday,” he said.

Originally published asAttention on notice in Winter Cup

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